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The Long Forgotten City of Ani

Image by: Mr Hicks46, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ani, also known as “the city of 1001 churches,” used to be a bustling city of 100,000 people. It is now located in northeastern Turkey, near the border with Armenia. In the past the city must have echoed with the sounds of so many people, but today the only sound you can hear as you walk through Ani is the wind. Much of the city has been destroyed, but it is still an archaeological treasure. It contains examples of almost all of the regional architectural styles from between the years 600 and 1300 CE. Because of this, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July of this year.

Ani’s golden age was from around 950-1050, at the same time as other cities such as Constantinople, Baghdad, and Cairo became powerful. Since Ani controlled one section of the Silk Road, it was in a good location for wealth and power. Over the years it was conquered by many different groups, including the Byzantines and the Ottomans. Although different groups controlled the city, it kept its reputation as a center for culture and trade.

The decline of Ani began in the early 1300s. Around that time it was conquered by the Mongols and experienced a disastrous earthquake. In addition, trade routes began to change and other cities gained power. Ani was finally completely abandoned by the 1700s. Since then, the ruins have been robbed of anything valuable and have broken down over the years, but the buildings that remain show glimpses of an amazing past.

KEY WORDS

  • bustling: adj. full of movement and noise

  • to echo: v. to repeat (a sound)

  • destroyed: adj. ruined, damaged

  • archaeologicaladj. related to the study of human history

  • regional: adj. in the area

  • architectural: adjabout buildings

  • CE: Common Era: starting from the year 1 of the Gregorian calendar

  • golden age: n. a time rich with culture and money

  • the Silk Road: n. a trade route between Asia and Europe

  • wealthn. riches, having lots of money

  • to conquer: v. to take control of using force

  • reputationn. the opinions and ideas about a place/person

  • traden. buying and selling goods

  • declinen. losing power

  • disastrous: adj. damaging

  • route: n. a path or road

  • to gain: v. to get

  • to abandon: v. to leave completely

  • valuable: adj. worth money

  • glimpse: n. a brief view of

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